Oregon Sweatfree Campaign

Victory!

Ashland Adopts a Landmark Sweatshop-Free Procurement Policy

By adopting a sweatfree resolution in December, 2008 the city council set the stage for Ashland, Oregon to join a cutting-edge movement that is picking up steam and building sweat-free communities all across the country. On Tuesday June 16, Ashland City Council voted in support of a strong policy with the following statement: The City will use its purchasing procedures and spending authority to promote the improvement of working conditions in the world by avoiding the acquisition of uniform and clothing items that cannot be certified as being the product of a "sweat free" environment (not the product of sweashop labor as defined in Resolution 2008-45, attached). More

The Latest

June 18-- "City Adopts Code Against Sweatshops" By Vickie Aldous, Ashland Daily Tidings

The city will join a watchdog group to make sure the $85,000 it spends each year on uniforms doesn't go to factories with sweatshop conditions.

On Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously voted to have the city government buy uniforms for police, firefighters and other employees only from non-sweatshop sources.

Ashland will pay $500 to join a consortium of government agencies that will pool information about where to buy sweatshop-free clothing. The consortium will also monitor clothing sources for compliance. The city will also pay an annual fee of about $500 to be a consortium member.

Dec 16 2008-- "City Council Votes for a Sweatfree Ashland" SOUTHERN OREGON JOBS WITH JUSTICE, 17.12.2008 12:16

Ashland, Oregon - December 16, 2008
It was unanimous when the vote came down at the Ashland City Council's 12/16/08 meeting. All councilors voted "Yes" in support of "A RESOLUTION FOR A SWEATSHOP FREE PROCUREMENT POLICY" which is for the uniforms and garments the city purchases with public dollars"...

Dec 11 2008-- "Groups want sweatshop-free city uniforms" By Vickie Aldous, Ashland Daily Tidings

A coalition of labor, religious and student groups wants to make sure that the uniforms worn by Ashland firefighters, police officers and other city workers aren't made in sweatshops.

The groups are asking the City Council to adopt a resolution that would require uniform suppliers to disclose factory names and locations where goods are made.

The city would also support the creation of a sweatshop-free consortium that would help member governments by monitoring conditions in factories and sharing information...

Nov 2008-- As part of the "Made in LA" Pacfic Northwest Tour , inspiring film screenings and director Q&As hit Ashland, Salem and Portland. Read about the events on the Made in LA blog!

Oct 15 2008-- The City of Portland resoundingly supported the passage of the first Sweatshop-free Ordinance in the Northwest with a unanimous city council vote! For more information, check out the Portland Sweatfree Campaign website.

July 18 2008-- Check out Southern Oregon Job with Justice blog entry "Sweatshop workers call on Governors." Delegates from Oregon’s SweatFree Campaign join others in Philadelphia with a strong message at the Governors’ National Convention. The delegation shares a special challenge for Governor Ted Kulongoski: “Stop supporting Sweatshops in Oregon. We have better uses for our tax dollars and now is the time to step up and commit to a SweatFree Oregon...”

April 21 2008-- We hand-delivered the "Clearing the Hurdles" report to Nike at their Oregon headquarters on behalf of Play Fair 2008. The report shows gross worker rights violations in the production of sportswear and athletic footwear, and provides suggestions on steps sportswear companies can take to eliminate the exploitation and abuse of workers in the global sporting goods industry.

April 1 2008-- We kicked off the Oregon Sweatfree Campaign on April 1, 2008, on the Capitol steps in Salem. The Oregon Sweatfree Campaign is encouraging Governor Kulongoski to pass an Executive Order for Sweatshop-Free Purchasing for Oregon. The policy will ensure that our tax dollars will not be spent on sweatshops.

Check out our press release and photos from the event.

Campaign Goals

In 2007 Portland City Hall unanimously passing a landmark resolution that set in motion a process to create a City of Portland Sweatshop-Free Procurement Policy for uniforms and clothing purchases. From this success evolved the Oregon Sweatfree Campaign.

Our mission is to educate, mobilize, and empower Oregonians to use their collective consumer power to resist the local effects of sweatshops and ensure their tax dollars are not being used to support sweatshop labor conditions.

We are asking Oregon to collaborate with other states across the nation to form the State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium, which will pool resources for factory monitoring and coordinate enforcement of sweatfree purchasing policies.

Acting as an ethical consumer, the state of Oregon has the power to support fair and decent working conditions by adopting a sweatfree procurement policy.

Take Action

Volunteer

Would you like to join other activists in your community to end sweatshop exploitation? If so, you can volunteer for a local sweatfree campaign. Please fill out this brief volunteer survey to see where we can plug you in!

Tell Gov. Ted Kulongoski to make Oregon Sweatfree!

Send a letter using this sample:
Governor Kulongoski
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047

Email:
Online contact form

Fax:
503.378.6827

Phone:
503.378.4582

Talking Points:

As an Oregon resident, I do not want my tax dollars to subsidize sweatshops.

Oregon should be a leader in ethical purchasing.

Here in Oregon we can show companies that we care about the conditions under which the products we buy are made by passing a sweatfree policy.

Join over 180 states, cities, counties and school districts in the United States that have adopted "sweatfree" procurement policies!

Pass an Executive Order for a sweatfree purchasing policy that will fund fair labor standards, not exploitation.

Sweatfree NW Campaign Endorsers List

Albany Peace Seekers
Alliance for Democracy - Portland
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) - Oregon Council 75
AFSCME - Local 3214 - Eugene
AFSCME - Local 189 - Portland
AFSCME - Local 88 - Portland
American Friends Service Committee - Portland
Ainsworth United Church of Christ
Carpenters Union Local 247
CAUSA
Center for Intercultural Organizing
Columbia-Pacific Alliance for Social Justice - Astoria and Clatsop County
Coastal Progressives of Lincoln and South Tillamook Counties
Communication Workers of America - Local 7901
Enlace
Eugene/Springfield Solidarity Network-Jobs with Justice
Foundation Garments
Global Exchange
Graphic Communications Conference/International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 767M
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - Local 48
International Longshore and Warehouse Union - Local 5
ILWU - Oregon Area District Council
International Union of Elevator Constructors - Local 23
Jubilee Oregon
Laborers/Liuna - Local 483
Metanoia Peace Community United Methodist Church
National Association of Letter Carriers - Branch 82
NALC - Oregon State Association
Oregon Fair Trade Campaign
Oregon State Fire Fighters Council
Pacific Green Party
Portland Fire Fighters Association - Local 43
Portland Jobs with Justice
Portland National Lawyers Guild
Portland Peaceful Response Coalition
PSU-Students for Unity
Rural Organizing Project
Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice
Sweatfree Communities
Teamsters Local 206
United Steelworkers - Oregon Legislative Education Committee